Ichinen
by Cinderella Starsend
Summary: Hinata takes up a part time job at Ichiraku Ramen Bar in hopes of meeting with Naruto. However, over the course of time she finds herself drawn to a certain Uchiha that never seems too far away. All it takes is one year. 'After the Snow' spawn.
1. January

**It was January...**

Hyuuga Hinata stifled a yawn as she stepped out of the door and shut it behind her. Despite the cold breeze, it was a nice, sunny day as it frequently was in Konoha Village. Zipping the light jacket up to her neck, she locked the door behind her and started down the street. The land of fire has always maintained a bright and fairly warm weather pattern, however Hinata longed for a bit of snow once in a while. When they were younger, Naruto journeyed to the Snow Country during a mission and returned with magnificent stories to tell, which she was more than happy to listen to. Since then, Hinata wished to travel to the Snow Country and partake in the making of snowmen herself. Naruto had presented the idea to her and the mere thought of it brought a pink tinge to her face as she fantasized about making snowmen with the blond haired boy.

"Hina," Yamanaka Ino called out to her, snapping back down to reality.

"Good morning, Ino," Hinata greeted softly with a smile and a slight nod. "I'm sorry, were you waiting long?"

"Not at all," She grinned and fell into step beside the blue haired girl. "It's been a long time since we've all met up together like this, isn't this exciting?"

Hinata nodded in agreement. "I'm glad everyone had the time to come out for Shino's Birthday. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see all of his old comrades."

The two immersed themselves in an elaborate conversation as they made their way to the yaki-niku restaraunt, the designated meeting spot for 'Shino's Grand 21st Birthday Bash,' as Kiba had described it. They were both greeted with gusto upon entering.

"Ino, Hinata," Sakura was the first to jump up and pull them into a hug. "It's been a long time!"

Hinata smiled, returning the hug and greeting everyone at the large table. Shino sat at the head of the table, his sunglasses still ever present. "Shino, Happy Birthday," She held out a small wrapped box to him. "It's not much, but please have it."

"Thank you, Hinata," Shino nodded and took it from her hands so that he may gesture to the empty seat on his left. "Please sit down, we're still waiting for some people to arrive."

Sitting down, Hinata waved at Kiba who sat across from her and looked at the rest of the group. Shikamaru sat beside him, Temari was speaking to him, but he seemed to shut her out. She could see she was getting quite frustrated.

"Hello Temari," She said. "Are your brothers not joining us today?"

"Ah," Temari shook her head. "They had business to take care of. Those two are always so busy these days, being Kazekage and all..."

It wasn't long until Neji, Tenten and Lee arrived, followed by Chouji. Hinata looked around hopefully and sighed. Just when she began to ponder the whereabouts of her favorite blond, he burst in as loud as ever. A bright smile blossomed on her face and soon everyone was settling down to eat. She barely even noted the arrival of the Uchiha as well.

"Hina, come sit here on the girls side of the table," Sakura beckoned.

Hinata happily obliged and sat herself down next to Ino and Sasuke. They were all caught up in a vigorous conversation about their men, yet Hinata sat silent, chancing glances over to the other side of the table once in a while.

"Hinata," Temari said, leaning across from the table. "You still like Naruto, don't you?"

Hinata's face flushed a bright red and looked down. "Just a... little..." She admitted softly.

"Eh? Are you kidding me, he hasn't even noticed yet?" Tenten raised a brow, casting a glance at the oblivious boy on the far end.

"Naruto is so blind when his comes to love," Sakura sighed deeply. "You'll have to take action if you want to get his attention, Hina."

"That's right!" Ino clapped her hands together and her eyes lit up with joy. "And I have the perfect idea!"

"R-really?" Hinata looked up, unable to supress her eager ears. "What is it?"

"Naruto loves ramen, but being ANBU he's usually busy. However, he always goes to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar whenever he can, right?" She explained to the girls. "So why don't you get a job at the Ramen bar, Hina? You'll be sure to see him everytime he's in town."

Realization dawned upon the girls faces and they bustled in complimenting Ino on a plan well thought. Hinata thought about it herself and began to wonder why she never thought of it before. It was a perfect idea!

"Oi, Sasuke," Sakura pointed an accusing finger at him. "You'd better not go off and tell Naruto about anything you've just heard here!"

Hinata blushed and turned to look at Sasuke, whom she forgot was sitting right beside her. He stared at her from the corner of his eye for what seemed like forever. She began to fidget. He was Naruto's best friend, what if he-

"What are you talking about?" He finally sighed, bringing the cup of tea to his lips as he turned away to face the guys side. "Do what you want, I could care less about what that idiot is missing."

Hinata let out a breath of relief and slowly began to regain her composure. She would ask Teuchi, the owner, to give her a job. Smiling to herself, she began to eat, not noticing the Uchiha's gaze lingering on her again.


	2. February

**February came fairly quickly...**

"Thank you for coming!" Hinata chimed brightly.

Picking up the empty bowls, she turned around to begin washing them. The owner gladly accepted her after his last assistants could cause nothing but trouble. It was an enjoyable job that kept her occupied seeing as she was on reserves. Someone approached and seated themselves at the bar.

"Welcome," She offered a friendly smile. "Oh, it's you Uchiha. I didn't know you liked ramen..."

"Teuchi, I'll have the usual," Sasuke shrugged. "I have it occasionally..."

"I see," Hinata nodded and was able to serve him the bowl in no time. "Are you perhaps... meeting someone here? Naruto maybe?"

Sasuke broke his chopsticks apart and pinned her with his stare. Hinata blinked and began to blush, maybe she was too forward in asking. She probably shouldn't have bothered him seeing as he was so nice to keep her plan a secret for her crush himself.

"He's always late," He muttered, turning his attention to the bowl in front of him. "He'll probably show up in a few minutes."

"I see," A relieved smile spread across Hinata's face and she looked around. "Do you like naruto?"

Sasuke stopped mid noodle and raised a questionable brow at her. She laughed a little and made a swirling motion with her finger, indicating she meant the swirled pattern of the fish cake in the ramen. He sucked the rest of the noodle into his mouth before chewing and swallowing.

"I don't hate it," He moved the pieces around in his bowl.

Just as he moved in for another bite, a slice of naruto dropped into his bowl with a tiny splash. Sasuke jumped back with slight surprise and looked at Hinata. She was laughing again.

"I'm sorry, did I get you?" She inquired, pointing at his noise.

Sasuke didn't know how to reply, so he simply reached for a napkin to dab on his nose. It was then that he noticed that there was suddenly someone sitting next to him.

"Sorry I'm late, Sasuke," Naruto said. "I was halfway here when I realized I forgot my money." He held up a worn out frog wallet that everyone knew he's had for years.

"W-welcome, Naruto," Hinata stammered with a faint blush.

"Oh, Hinata!" He grinned. "I didn't know you worked here! Do you like ramen that much too?"

"It's been a while, Naruto," Teuchi said and pat Hinata on the shoulder. "I got Hinata to replace those two idiots that I had before, isn't that great?"

"Yeah!" Naruto beamed as a bowl of ramen was set down before him. "Hinata, I'm sure you'll do a great job here."

"Thanks..." She looked down as her cheeks darkened and nodded with a meek smile. "I'll do my best, Naruto."

He broke apart his chopsticks and began to inhale the ramen as he always did. Sasuke looked at Naruto and simply shook his head.

"Idiot." He muttered under his breath and poked at the extra naruto Hinata had dropped in his soup moments ago. When he glanced up at her, she was poking her fingers together in a shy manner. She hadn't changed much since the last time he saw her.


	3. March

**In the middle of March**...

"Seconds please!" Naruto held his empty bowl up.

"Coming right up," Hinata beamed as she reached to take the bowl from his hands. However, she accidentally brushed her hand against his and immediately drew back as if she had been burned.

The bowl fell and broke into pieces on the counter. Hinata flushed with embarassment and began to bow profusely, crying apologies in a high pitched voice. Teuchi came up beside her, "What's going on here?"

"I'm so sorry, I-" Hinata said, tears already building in her eyes.

"Naruto dropped the bowl," Sasuke mumbled, resting his chin in his hand. "In all his excitement, he let it go before Hinata could get a good grip on it. Considering how he eats, it was all slimy from the soup."

"Ah, my fault," Naruto said without a second thought. "Sorry old man."

"Just try to be careful next time, Naruto," The older man wagged his finger and turned back to the pot. "Our bowls are old, but we can't exactly afford new ones yet."

Hinata was beginning to calm down and moved to clean up the mess carefully. Sasuke glanced at Naruto who was scratching the back of his head sheepishly, completely unaware that it wasn't his fault at all.

"Sorry Hinata," He said. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"N-no," She glanced at Sasuke who gave her a blank look before turning around to dump the broken shards. "I... don't worry about it, Naruto."

"Why do you have to have another bowl anyways?" Sasuke sucked his teeth, somewhat annoyed as he watched his friend begin digging into another bowl. "You'd better not slow me down later on."

Another bowl was placed in front of Sasuke and he stared at it a moment before looking up at a bashful Hinata. With a slight bow of her head, she rubbed her cheek, which was still a bit flushed, and returned to cleaning various things. He looked at the bowl, understanding it to be a 'Thanks' kind of thing and reached for another pair of chopsticks.


	4. April

**April rolled around...**

It was frequently raining, but Hinata saw no sign of Naruto the whole month. She simply hoped he was alright and that he would return safely in no time. In the meantime, the girls were often seen taking seats at the bar to eat the 'diet ramen' that Teuchi created some time ago. Apparently it grew to be quite popular among the female population.

"Hina," Ino grinned over a bowl of noodles. "How is everything?"

"Thats right," Sakura look up with interest. "How are things with Naruto?"

"They're... alright," Hinata scratched her cheek with her finger. "I've only seen him a few times here with Uchiha. There isn't much chance to talk since he's eating... But I'm ok with that."

"Go for it, Hina," Sakura smiled. "He'll start to see you overtime, I'm sure of it."

"She's right, just keep at it," Ino said. "Naruto will be returning soon and you'll be here waiting for him with a nice bowl of ramen."


	5. May

**At the beginning of May...**

Both Naruto and Sasuke returned one week into the month, but were immediately whisked off to the hospital. Everyday Hinata remained at Ichiraku, awaiting for Ino to return with the news on their condition. She just couldn't bring herself to go visit them on her own even when Ino offered to go with her. Teuchi noticed his assistant's state of anxiety and placed a brown bag in front of her.

"Hinata, I heard that Naruto and Sasuke have woken up," He said. "Would you make a run to the hospital to deliver this for me? My daughter Ayame sent them to me this morning, I'd like them to have some."

"Ah," Hinata dried her hands on a cloth and nodded. "Of course, I won't be long."

Pulling the apron off, she tossed it onto a hook and took the parcel into her arms. The hospital wasn't too far at all, seeing as it only took her about five minutes to walk there at her own pace. She was soon standing in front of the door that was inhabited by both Naruto and Sasuke. Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on the door and slid it open. Sasuke looked up at her as she came in and shut the door behind her.

"The idiot fell asleep again," He said, looking back down at the book in his lap. "Want me to wake him up for you?"

Hinata blushed a little at his absence of a shirt, but reasoned with herself that he was covered in bandages anyway. She shook her head and stepped further into the room.

"That's not necessary," She placed the bag on the small table between the two beds. A vase of colorful flowers were there, which indicated Ino's presence. Hinata unfolded the top of the paper bag and looked inside. There were bright red apples with a single plate and a knife wrapped with a napkin. Perhaps he meant for Hinata to peel some for Naruto, but unfortunately he was sleeping. She looked at Sasuke anyways and decided to offer. "Teuchi asked me to bring these to you, they're apples from Ayame... do you want to eat some now?"

Sasuke looked up from his book again and looked at her. "...Sure."

Hinata nodded and pulled up a chair next to his bed, placing the plate on her lap. Picking out a nice round apple, she quickly began to cut and peel with nimble fingers. It wasn't long before she was holding out the plate to him with eight evenly cut slices. She claimed one for herself and took a bite, a smile blossoming on her face as she did so.

"It's delicious," She claimed as he took one and popped it into his mouth. "Don't you think?"

Sasuke merely nodded and reached for another. He was silent until he reached for the next one and paused. "...Thanks." He said and continued eating.

She blushed a little, but smiled and reached for another.

"I'm hungry," A voice croaked from behind her.

"Na-Naruto," Hinata squeaked, looked over at him. "Are you alright? I brought some apples from Teuchi."

Naruto sat up and a lazy grin slid across his face. "Hinata, did you bring me food?

Hinata scooted her chair over to his bedside and began to peel another apple. Sasuke looked at the two before leaning back in his bed and immersing himself in his book again. Once she finished feeding Naruto a few apples, she peeled the last one and left it on the plate between the two.

"Well then, I hope you get better soon," She smiled at the two and bowed her head slightly as she left. There was a little skip in her step now that she knew that they would be just fine after a good bit of rest.


	6. June

**Sometime during the second week of June...**

"Hey old man!" Naruto limped through the curtains and placed himself at his usual seat. "I'm back! Two bowls for me and Sasuke."

"Naruto, are you sure it's ok for you to be up and walking around already?" Hinata smiled at the blond as she cleared the countertop of empty dishes.

"Nah, they let me go free," He grinned and eagerly began to fiddle with his chopsticks. "So long as Sasuke here promised to look after me."

"Idiot, you left your other crutch back there," Sasuke appeared behind him with a rather irritated expression. "Tell me again why I have to be your personal nurse?"

Hinata giggled at the thought of 'Nurse Sasuke' as she served them their food. Stepping back, she watched Naruto's eyes light up just before he scarfed it down. Sasuke poked around his bowl for a bit before digging in slowly. It was clear that he wasn't too happy with his given responsibility. Apparently, since he returned to Konoha two years ago, he's at the mercy of the Hokage and has to do everything she says as 'punishment'. Hinata shook her head in pity and grabbed a pair of chopsticks.

Sasuke was slurping a rather long noodle when something splashed into his bowl, sending a drop of soup on his face. He stared for a while until he saw a pink swirl surface from the depths. Looking up, he saw the end of Hinata's smile as she turned her head to wash some dishes. Stirring things around a bit, he poked at the newest addition to his bowl and began to eat a little more.

"Seconds!" Naruto cried in the background.


	7. July

**It was nearing the end of July...**

"Happy Birthday, Sasuke," Hinata smiled brightly as she placed the bowl of ramen in front of him. "This one's on the house."

Sasuke looked down at the steaming ramen bowl and blinked at the massive amount of naruto lined up to shape the number twenty-one. He looked up at Hinata with a raised brow. "Isn't this a bit... much?"

"Is it?" She blushed lightly and looked at his bowl. "Oh, you're right."

Hinata reached down and began to poke at his bowl, popping a few naruto into her mouth as well. He simply watched her with a steady gaze until she smiled and nodded, her mouth full as she chewed. Looking down he saw them now lined up in a simple smiley face.

"These are for you too," Hinata said a bit shyly. "Kiba's birthday was a few weeks ago and I made him cookies the other day. I figured I might as well make some for you too. I recalled Sakura saying how you didn't like sweets when we were younger, so I made sure they weren't too sweet."

Sasuke looked at the small box tied that she had placed next to his bowl with slight surprise. There was a silky dark blue ribbon tied securely around it. He picked it up and looked at it before putting it away in his pocket.

"Thanks." He said and looked down at his ramen.

It was the first time in the past five years that he recieved anything on his birthday. It's been an even longer time since he last accepted anything as well. His little escapade with Orochimaru and Itachi seemed to rid him of his fan girl problems while time eventually paired Sakura with Lee. He didn't mind the lost fan base too much but it seemed to make one thing stand out.

Hyuuga Hinata.

Now that the female gender seemed to have left him alone, she suddenly stood out to him. The one girl that never seemed to fall for his charm. The only one who never even gave him a second glance. The only girl who has only had eyes for Naruto. The mere thought of it made him snort.

Sasuke had prepared to sit back and watch Naruto fall for Hinata's subtle charm, but after two years he was surprised to see nothing. The one thing he wanted was right under Naruto's nose and he wasn't even aware of it. A real idiot. This year he'd hoped to somehow catch the Hyuuga's attention. And now it seemed he did.

"Sasuke," Hinata ventured a bit worriedly. "Is everything alright?"

He looked up at her and eyed her face for a moment. A small smile slid across his face and Hinata's eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. As Sasuke began to eat, Hinata began to wonder if she was simply seeing things or The Uchiha Sasuke actually smiled.

At her.


	8. August

**The first week of August was sweltering...**

"Ah, it's hot..." Hinata sighed as she fanned herself with a makeshift fan, which was actually a flimsy book.

"Hinata," Tenten walked over with Neji in tow. "You're actually working on a day like this? Who comes to eat ramen around these times, it's way too hot."

"This is nothing compared to the heat in the desert," Temari scoffed, popping in as well. Shikamaru stood idly beside her and greeted Hinata with a little salute. "How's the Naruto Plan going? Any progress?"

"Eh..." Hinata looked down and began to fiddle with her apron. "A little."

"Hinata, I can't believe you like someone like him," Neji shook his head. "Just don't overwork yourself, alright?"

She didn't look up, but kept her head down and nodded. Something was off, she could feel it, but couldn't quite place her finger on it. Perhaps she was just being silly, right? Hinata chewed on her bottom lip nervously and poked her fingers together because when she thought of a certain dark haired, Sharingan eyed boy, she felt butterflies.

"Hey Hinata," She nearly fell over in fright.

"S-sasuke, you startled me," Hinata sighed, a hand over her heart. "You can't be here for ramen, can you?"

"Do I look like Naruto?" He smirked and held out something to her. "Here, I brought you this."

"For me?" She tilted her head in slight curiosity and took his from his hand. With a flick of her wrist, Hinata unfolded a lovely blue painted fan. Her mouth fell open in an 'o' and she looked up to thank him, however he was already gone. She pinched it closed and held it to her chest, her face turning red not only from the heat.

Hinata could almost swear there were butterfly wings beating within her chest. How could this happen? How could she come to feel this way for the one all the girls fell in love with?

"He definately doesn't look like Naruto," She said to herself looked down at the fan.


	9. September

**September brought the temperatures down...**

"Hina, that's a pretty fan," Ino said. "Can I have a look?"

Her hand immediately flew to her waist, where she always wore it under the belt of her apron. It was the fan she recieved last month from Uchiha Sasuke. She hadn't seen him ever since, nor had she seen Naruto.

"This?" She asked, pulling it out and handing it to her obligingly. "It is, isn't it?"

"It's absolutely gorgeous, the wood was sanded smooth and painted with black lacqour, it's almost like glass." Ino set down her chopsticks and unfolded it for a better look. "You don't see fans like this nowadays. It's even been handpainted... Who gave this to you?"

"Ah..." Hinata began to blush and tug on the hem of her apron. "You, uh, don't remember?"

"What are you talking about, Hina? I would have remembered if you got something like this," She closed it and gave it back to her. "Did... Naruto give it to you?"

"No..." Her face grew a deeper shade of red. "He didn't give me anything."

"Eh? Who is there besides Naruto that can make you blush that shade of red?" The platinum blonde girl raised a curious brow. "Hinata, who gave you that fan?"

"..." Hinata wrung her hands around the fan before slipping it back under her belt and turning away. "Uchiha... Sasuke gave it to me."

Ino's jaw dropped and Hinata began to blush ten more shades of red.


	10. October

**October brought about changes...**

"Happy Birthday, Naruto," Hinata smiled brightly as she served him a bowl of ramen.

"It looks delicious," He beamed. "Thanks Hinata."

"Is... Sasuke not with you today?" She inquired as casually as she could, placing one hand over the fan under her belt. There was still no sign of the Uchiha boy since two months ago, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

"He's on a scout mission, there's not telling when he'll be back," Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles. "You know those missions, it could take months."

"I see," She frowned slightly and returned back to work.

Hinata sighed as she scubbed the pots in front of her, pausing once in a while to wipe her brow with the back of her hand. No tell when... could take months, huh? As Hinata had feared, the blonde haired boy with blue eyes could no longer awaken the butterflies in her stomach. Uchiha Sasuke had come into the pictures and simply stole away her heart without her even realizing.

He had always been there. He had always been watching her, hadn't he? Even as she chased Naruto blindly for all those years.

She glanced over her shoulder at the boy who was completely occupied in his ramen. Ten years had gone by and he still failed to notice her attraction, as obvious as it was. By now the whole village was aware of the girl who only had eyes for Naruto except Naruto himself. Hinata sighed a second time and returned to doing the dishes.

She just hoped Sasuke would return home soon, safe and sound.


	11. November

**November was the first time...**

"Hinata," Naruto said.

"Yes?" She turned her head slightly.

"Do you like me?" He asked.

"N-naruto," Sakura hit him on the head with her fist. "You can't just ask her just like that!"

"E-eh?!" Hinata nearly dropped the empty bowl in her hand.

"I heard that you liked me," He said. "Is it true?"

Lee just shook his head and continued to concentrate on his ramen rather than get involved.

"It... was true, Naruto," She said slowly turning away and placing the bowl in the sink. "However... I couldn't wait for you forever."

Sakura's mouth fell open with a gasp and ramen came out of Lee's nose. Hinata cleaned the dishes until they were sparkling clean and spotless. The trio eventually left and the day seemed to fly by from there. Finishing up the last of the dishes, Hinata sighed and sat herself at the bar for a bowl of ramen.

"Yo," Someone dropped down into the seat beside her.

"Sasuke!" She cried out, thoroughly shocked. "When did you get back?"

"Earlier today," He said, ordering a bowl of ramen before resting his elbow on the bar and turning to look at her. "Are you off?"

"Yes," Hinata nodded and smiled at Teuchi who placed a steaming bowl in front of her and Sasuke. "I just thought I'd eat before heading home..."

"I heard about it," Sasuke said vaguely, breaking apart his chopsticks. "About the Naruto thing..."

"E-eh..." She scratched her cheek and looked down at her ramen. It was only a few hours ago, but she was sure the whole village had known about it by now. Gossip and rumors seemed to spread throughout the village in mere minutes.

There short silence as they both began to eat. Sasuke seemed the eat with a little more energy, as if he were happy about something.

"Um... thank you for the fan," She said with a faint blush. "I like it very much... Is there anything you would like, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced over at her and waved a hand dismissively, indicating that she didn't have to give him anything. Hinata pursed her lips and grabbed up the two naruto sitting in her bowl, dropping them into his as she always did. He looked down at his bowl, then looked at her. She stared straight back.

There was a thick silence that Teuchi observed with a little anxiety. He couldn't read neither Hinata nor Sasuke at all. Only when Sasuke cracked a small smile and Hinata chimed in a little laughter was he able to relax and return to cleaning up the stove.

"I'll be leaving on another mission tomorrow morning," Sasuke said as he stood up and looked at the bill.

"Eh?" Hinata's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You just returned from the last one. How long will this one take?"

"About a month if I'm lucky, but that doesn't seem too plausible at the moment," He said, counting out his money and handing it to the bar owner. "Keep the change."

" I see..." Hinata frowned for a second, but quickly put on a forced smile. "Well, good luck and come back safely."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Will do." He said, then turned and left.

"Ah," Hinata sighed again and poked at the seaweed floating in her bowl before putting it in her mouth. "He won't be here next month..."

She began to count the money in her wallet.

"Hinata, you don't need to pay," Teuchi stopped her. "Sasuke already paid for your meal."

"Did he?" She shook her head and looked out into the empty streets. "I didn't get to thank him."


	12. December

**The last week of December**

There were birthday wishes all around and Hinata was completely surrounded by her comrades and close friends. A smile was ever present on her face as everyone took part in laughter and conversations over a delicious meal. Her sister Hanabi, who was now sixteen years old, was kind enough to throw her the party in the Hyuuga compound. It was nice that everyone was in town for her birthday

"Thank you, everyone," Hinata said and closed her eyes to make a wish.

She blew out her candles in one breath and the whole table clapped and cheered. A few of the girls prodded her, asking what it was that she wished for. Hinata playfully declined, stating the well known fact that if she told, it wouldn't come true. Looking around at the table, she noticed that even Temari's brothers, Kankuro and Gaara, were present. There was only one person missing and thinking about him, Hinata instinctively touched the fan under her belt. He still hadn't returned, perhaps he was having trouble. What if he was hurt? What if he was-

"Hinata, come on, get in the picture!" Kiba called and gestured her over to where everyone was gathering.

"Coming!" She laughed and ran over to the group. They place her in the middle and crowded around as the picture was taken…

"Thank you for coming," Hinata said, seeing off the last of her guests. It was beginning to get dark and a cold wind rushed through the streets. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to stay warm. Looking up at the sky, she sighed, "I guess my wish didn't come true after all."

"Am I too late?"

Hinata's hands flew up to her face upon turning and finding out just who it was. "Sasuke, you're here?"

"Want to get some ramen with me?" He turned around and started walking towards Ichiraku without a second glance. She tilted her head slightly in confusion, but followed after him anyway. Hinata was just happy that he was back; it made for a pleasant surprise.

They sat down at the bar and ordered their food. Hinata stared down at the bar top, not even noticing Sasuke stand up beside her.

"Happy Birthday," A beautiful silver snowflake hung from a thin silver chain, the round crystal gems glimmered wildly in front of her eyes despite the dim lighting. Hinata gazed at it in awe. Sasuke smiled slightly and hooked his around her neck. Returning to his seat, he broke apart his chopsticks and began to eat.

Hinata touched the pendant around her neck and blushed heavily, glancing at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. Picking up her chopsticks, she broke them apart and did as she always did. Two naruto were chucked into his bowl and he paused for a second before turning to face her.

"Hinata-" Imagine Sasuke's surprise when Hinata suddenly leaned forward and placed chaste kiss on his lips. She sat back with a shy smile and tucked her hair behind her ears, averting her gaze to the ramen bowl that sat in front of her.

"Thank you for this," Hinata said. "I love it."

Perhaps wishes really did come true, Hinata thought with a secret smile.

_Just once, I wish for snow… and Sasuke's safe return._

Sasuke leaned over and returned a kiss to her left temple.

"And I love you."


End file.
